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The wait is on but the battle lines have been drawn.

Saturday’s Cold War 2017 launched with a double-hitter that kicked off with the inaugural Ice Bowl skateboarding jam at Forth Union inside the Carousel building in Asbury Park’s waterfront.

Held from noon to 3 p.m. the area’s best were hand picked by Jersey skateboarding veterans Lou Cuccaro and Derek Rinaldi. And by 8 p.m. surf and skate fans and participants began packing the Wonder Bar [1213 Ocean Ave] for the official Cold War 2017 Kickoff Party.

At Ice Bowl the competitors fell between the ages of 8 and 46 and represented all skill levels.

“This is a loose criteria,” Rinaldi said at the start of the event after he and Cucccaro chose teams.

“These are local guys all hand picked by me and Derek,” Cuccaro said. “They were drawn evenly, age to age, skill level to skill level. Everything is fair.”  

It was the youngest competitors – the groms, who best summed up the sport, event, and skate culture.

From Toms River, a Forth Union regular regular Luca Affa, 8, said the sport  may be fun but it does not come without its challenges.

“You just really have to stand up for yourself,” he said. “If you fall you have to pretend or say you are not hurt.

Affa said he’s mastered moves include dropping-in, axle star, rock to fakie, rock n roll, front side axle style, and front style slash.  What that all means, I couldn’t say.

Hailing from Wall, Sonny Pechillo [at right], 8, a little shy but a brazen rider who’s mastered the front side air said, “I’ve been skateboarding since I was really three. The challenge is balance.”

In the end, everyone won, said Rinaldi, whose team actually took home the bragging rights.

“Being in an event with my friend’s kids is a bit surreal,” he said. “I’ve never felt so young and so old at the same time.”

Event favorites included Dave Bohack [at right] of Howell who mastered the shelf to crowd acclaim. Bohack clinched the Best Trick contest and its $100 prize courtesy of Betty’s Ice Box.

“I’ve been watching his skating via social media for a while and it was great to meet and skate with him,” Rinaldi said. “I knew when I saw the shelf that Lou built over the bowl that Dave would be the one that would conquer it first.”

The event really served as more of a demonstration of what skateboarding is all about, Cuccaro said.

“All ages and abilities coming together in the name of fun,” he said. “We didn’t have the support, sponsorship or the prize money like the surf event has but we wanted to put our park on display to celebrate the hard work that we all put into it.”

With 20 plus years in the skateboarding sport and culture, the duo, was reunited with other veterans.

“The fact that I was able to skate in an event with Dan Mercuro [of Point Pleasant] and Morgan Tunney [of Toms River] again was a blast,” Rinaldi said. “Separately, I spent a lot of time traveling and skating with those two when we were younger and it was [great] to share a day with them.

Over at Cold War’s launch, team captains Andrew Gesler of Ocean City and Sam Hammer of Lavallette revealed their team picks via a video presentation.

The Jersey surf legends also hand picked their competitor roster, extending invitations this year to surf pros from along the eastern seaboard.

Year two returners like Philadelphia’s Ben McBrien and surf royalty Clay Pollioni, an Ortley Beach native, landed on defending champion Andrew Gesler’s team.

“I’m also a model for Ford but surfing is my passion,” Pollioni said when asked about balancing a day job with a calling past down by his father, a surfing legend in his own right. “It’s my life. It’s kind of priority. Whenever there is a wave, I’m out there.” 

And while lineage will certainly be an asset, he’ll have to contend with the famed Hammer/Rob Kelly force and the team they’ve lined up.

“I’ve got the same team captain and we have MVP Mike Gleason,” Polliani said. “It’s going to be very exciting. It’s a beautiful thing that these guys put on.”

For teammate McBrien, 40, strategy will be simplistic – “to wait for the good ones and finish that one turn.”

The same sentiment applies for Conor Willem, 45, of Long Beach Island.

“I’m going to surf as good as I can with the waves that I get, and have fun,” he said.

The event was hosted by Taylor Allen and featured performance by the Black Flamingos, Battery Eclectic and DJ Sara M and boasted a one of kind twist contest.

The Cold War waiting period kicks begins Sunday and runs through March 31. The contest call is made at least 48 hours in advance, when the surf conditions are predicted to be optimal, organizer Tim Donnelly said.

This year’s talent pool includes pros from Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Maryland who will join the New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York watermen.

“This year, for the second Cold War, we have decided to expand to five people outside of NJ/NY who are kinda familiar with cold water,” said Hammer, co-director of the event. “The goal has always been to have more outside participation. Get the best surfers we can get in touch within our best conditions.”

“Bringing a team aspect amidst the wintry elements makes for a one-of-a kind-experience not only for the athletes, but for the crowd too,” Gesler said. “I am excited to defend the title in year two with an even deeper talent pool to choose from.”

The Cold War will be held at the Asbury Avenue Beach, situated behind the famed Casino building. The event is sponsored in part by Surf Taco, Surfer’s Environmental Alliance and the Asbury Park Boardwalk, with worldwide surf content provider and forecaster Surfline.com helping to make the call as to when the conditions will be best for the annual event.

“Surfline’s historical swell database suggests that March is statistically one of, if not the, best time to see appreciable south by southeast swell in New Jersey,” Chief Meteorologist Mark Willis said. “Water temps are typically in the upper 30s to low 40s during the waiting period, which sets the perfect stage for this unique cold water event.”

For more information and to keep up to date on the The Cold War challenge, visit coldwarsurf.com, Instagram and Facebook; using #coldwar.

Here’s the Cold War battle lineup:

Team Hammer: Balaram Stack of Point Lookout, NY; Brett Barley of Buxton, NC; Pat Schmidt of Manasquan; Ben Bourgeois of Wrightsville Beach, NC; Zack Humphreys of Margate; Leif Enstram of Mauntauk, NY; Tommy Ihnken of Asbury Park; Vince Boulanger of Ocean City; and Peter Mendia of Palm Beach, Fla.

Team Gesler: Rob Kelly of Ocean City; Mike Gleason of Long Branch; Randy Townsend of Surf City; Conor Willem of Surf City; Clay Pollioni of Ortley Beach; Cam Richards of Garden City Beach, SC; Travis Beckmann of Montauk, NY; Brendan Tighe of Point Pleasant; and Ben McBrien of Ocean Grove.

[Photos in part, courtesy of AP Boardwalk]

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